Now THAT'S a leap of faith! Ducklings take the plunge after being born five feet off the floor when their mum made her nest in a hanging basket
- Ten ducklings were filmed making a five-foot jump out of nest in hanging basket
- Staff at Fleetshields in Colchester, Essex, set up wildlife cameras to see ducks
- The mallard duck made a nest in the basket over Easter and incubated her eggs
- The ten chicks hatched on May 10 and made leap to the ground two days later
- Fleetshields team set up a 'crash mat' so the ducklings could have a soft landingTen adorable ducklings had to make a five-foot leap of faith to the ground after being born in a hanging basket, where their mother had made a nest.
Staff at van conversion company Fleetshields in Colchester, Essex, had a pleasant surprise after watching ten ducklings hatch in a wall-mounted flower basket.
A mallard duck made a nest in the hanging basket over the Easter weekend and laid ten eggs over the following days, which finally hatched on May 10 after 25 days of incubation.
Just two days after hatching, the staff watched with delight as the chicks decided it was time to leave the nest - and bravely leapt the long five-foot to the ground below.
Sweet video footage showed the mother easily jumping to the floor from the basket before waiting for her nervous ducklings to make the leap of faith and join her.
Staff at van conversion company Fleetshields in Colchester, Essex, had a pleasant surprise after watching ten ducklings hatch in a wall-mounted flower basket (pictured)
A mallard duck made a nest in a hanging basket over Easter weekend and laid ten eggs, which finally hatched (ducklings pictured) on May 10 after the mother incubated them for 25 days
The Fleetshields team had even set up a 'crash mat' on the ground for the newly-hatched chicks, stuffed with hay, so they could have a soft landing.
In the clip, the fluffy ducklings left the nest and dropped out of the hanging basket one at a time to join their mother, who was patiently waiting below.
Meanwhile, eager Fleetshields staff could be seen taking a break from work to watch the incredible scene intently from behind a nearby wall.Operations director David Waterman, 49, said the team had set up wildlife cameras outside so they could keep an eye on the mother duck while she incubated the eggs.
He continued: 'It was fantastic to watch. It was about 30 minutes of absolute joy as they all leapt from the nest.
'We'd set up wildlife cameras outside to keep an eye on the mother duck as she incubated her eggs - so we all feel a bit like we've become wildlife experts over the past few weeks.
'It's been a magical five weeks, getting to see the process from the beginning.'
Despite the height of the hanging basket, operations director David Waterman said it was a 'clever spot' for the mallard duck to nest in, as she could stay hidden from predators
Just two days after hatching, the staff watched with joy the ducklings decided it was time to leave the nest - and leapt the long five-foot to the ground below (above), video footage shows
The Fleetshields team had even set up a 'crash mat' (pictured) on the ground for the newly-hatched chicks, stuffed with hay, so they could have a soft landing
David admitted that when they first peered into the basket and saw the eggs after Easter weekend, they did not realise what they were looking at and thought they were 'pebbles'.
He explained: 'They were really small, and they looked a bit like pebbles at first.
'When we realised they were eggs, we did a bit of Googling and thought they might have been laid by a mallard duck.
'Then over the next few days, we saw her keep coming back to the nest, and lay a couple more eggs each time.'
Despite the five-foot height of the hanging basket, David said it was a 'clever spot' for the mallard duck to nest in, as she could stay well-hidden from any predators.
He added: 'When it eventually came to incubating them, it turned out she had picked quite a clever spot to nest.
'The basket was quite deep, so she managed to tuck herself right down inside, out of sight of any predators.
'She was completely unfazed by people coming in and out of the building.'
After the ten ducklings hatched on May 10, they were ready to leave the nest and brave the world just two days later.
David, 49, admitted that when they first peered into the basket and saw the eggs (above) after Easter weekend, they did not realise what they were looking at
David said that after the chicks (pictured with mother) made the jump, some of the staff even followed them down the road to make sure they 'didn't run into any trouble'
He added that a couple of his team had been down to the pond since to check on the ducklings (pictured) - and that the family are all getting on fine
David said that after the ducklings made the jump, some of the staff even followed them down the road to make sure they 'didn't run into any trouble'.
He continued: 'All 10 of them jumped with no issue, and she waited patiently, and then rounded them all up and lead them across the road to a nearby pond.
'It was quite exciting - some of our staff followed behind to make sure they didn't run into any trouble on the road, but it's a very quiet industrial estate we work on, so they were fine.
'Our office backs onto a golf course, so the ducks only had to go about 200 yards before they reached the pond.
'The mother duck knew exactly where she was going.'
David added that a couple of his team had been down to the pond since to check on the ducklings - and confirmed that the family are all getting on fine.
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